The two Canadian roots rock icons recently named to the country’s highest civilian honour are likely to have some purposeful pride in their stride in downtown London on Saturday night.

When Blue Rodeo hits the stage at the RBC Theatre at Budweiser Gardens, co-frontmen and co-founding members Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor and their fans will have had a few weeks to enjoy the duo’s appointments to the Order of Canada.

To hear Cuddy talk about the appointments, fans might also figure it hasn’t completely hit them yet.

“How about that? It’s a huge honour and Greg and I were totally flabbergasted and surprised and of course very proud,” Cuddy said this week.

In the official details, Governor General David Johnston announced 90 new appointments in late December with James Gordon Cuddy and James Gregory Keelor honoured “for their contributions to Canadian music and for their support of various charitable causes.”

Cuddy said when he was thanked for his contribution during the process, he was deeply moved.

The emotional response mixes pride and gratitude — and humility.

“Don’t get me wrong, Greg and I still feel like the two guys who were left standing after high school not having picked a career,” Cuddy said.

Blue Rodeo being Blue Rodeo and Cuddy and Keelor the friends they are, there is also room for humour.

The band is basking in “a whole genre of jokes about who hauled the other one along,” Cuddy said, laughing.

Let’s give Cuddy the first shot.

After all, he’s the one who was just announced Friday as part of Orchestra London’s 2014-2015 season with dates April 17 and 18, 2015.

Here’s a Cuddy jest about Keelor’s place in the honour: “Greg, you have to understand that all my good work has overcome your protest and drug past.”

The band’s jesting is the counterpoint to its serious purpose. Blue Rodeo is touring to support its 13th album, In Our Nature.

It crossed the country on a triumphant 25th anniversary tour with a London stop last February. As part of that long-running rock road, Keelor has faced a painful sensitivity to loud noise in recent years.

That hearing issues have led to adjustments on-stage and off. Canadian rock ace Colin Cripps had filled in on Keelor’s electric guitar parts and now joined the group as its official seventh member, QMI Agency reported last year. The 2014 lineup is rounded out by bassist and third co-founding member Bazil Donovan, drummer Glenn Milchem, pedal steel-mandolin player Bob Egan and keyboardist Mike Boguski.

In another way of confronting the hearing issues, Blue Rodeo’s 2013 album album In Our Nature was recorded at Keelor’s country place near Orono.

The relocation to the quieter spot from its usual Toronto studio worked. In Our Nature confirms what the band and fans have known for more than two decades.

“Perhaps this starts with the most basic thing. The sound of my voice with Greg’s creates a very unique sound . . . We knew that from the beginning when we didn’t even have songs,” Cuddy said.

The songs, including a couple of collaborations which Keelor co-wrote, are credited to both songwriters on In Our Nature. In fact, Cuddy and Keelor write separately but like other celebrated songwriting “teams” take co-credit.

Those who think Keelor writes the rockers and Cuddy the ballads will be surprised to learn who’s really the creator of some songs, Cuddy said.

In Our Nature also confirms Blue Rodeo’s delight in devising albums in an era when singles, fan playlists and other formats have won favour. “For me, it’s pretty hard to get to over the imprint from my past listening that every record is a particularly sculpted statement,” Cuddy said.

With the sculpted statement that is In Our Nature being supported on a tour and the Juno-nominated band to play two sets on Saturday, it’s a busy time for Blue Rodeo.

Still, it’s not so busy that Cuddy doesn’t have time to answer a question about any jokes Keelor might have about who brought the Order of Canada appointments to the two friends.

Jim Cuddy’s amused and amusing take on the story behind the title track of Blue Rodeo’s In Our Nature.

It’s a collaboration between one of the band’s songwriters and Detroit-raised Toronto poet Damian Rogers:

To start: “Greg (Keelor) has taken recently to collaborating and that causes a whole conundrum.”

Background: Band was playing a new song from Keelor and liking it. “In Our Nature . . . was being considered as the title of the next record.

“Finally, I said to him, ‘Greg those lyrics are really good. Really good job.’

“He said, “Thanks,’ and didn’t say anything until the next day.”

“Then he said, “Those are Damian’s lyrics.”

Cuddy chorused for the band: “Oh man. You let us all think you wrote those.”

It wasn’t Rogers’s first work with the band. She also wrote the lyrics for Blue House on Small Miracles.

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